Weight Loss, Dieting & Obesity Blog

Blog of Weight Loss, Dieting & Obesity Research - Archive #0151.

NIH study finds low short-term risks after bariatric surgery for extreme obesity

July 30, 2009 - EurekAlert / New England Journal of Medicine

Short-term complications and death rates were low following bariatric surgery to limit the amount of food that can enter the stomach, decrease absorption of food or both, according to the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS-1)

U of M study identifies risk factors of disordered eating in overweight youth

July 30, 2009 - EurekAlert / International Journal of Eating Disorders

University of Minnesota Project Eating Among Teens researchers have identified factors that may increase overweight adolescents' risk of engaging in extreme weight control behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, the use of diet pills, laxatives and diuretics, as well as binge eating

Research shows rates of severe childhood obesity have tripled

July 29, 2009 - EurekAlert / Academic Pediatrics

Rates of severe childhood obesity have tripled in the last 25 years, putting many children at risk for diabetes and heart disease

Scientists create energy-burning brown fat in mice

July 29, 2009 - EurekAlert / Nature

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have shown that they can engineer mouse and human cells to produce brown fat, a natural energy-burning type of fat that counteracts obesity. If such a strategy can be developed for use in people, the scientists say, it could open a novel approach to treating obesity and diabetes

Bariatric surgery patients have 67 percent lower chance of complications at top hospitals

July 28, 2009 - EurekAlert / HealthGrades

The HealthGrades Fourth Annual Bariatric Surgery Trends in American Hospitals Study released today identifies 88 hospitals as "best" performers (five-star rated), with mortality rates, complication rates and patient lengths of stay that are dramatically lower than poorly rated hospitals

Dopamine-related activity of food reward circuits in the brain and weight gain

July 27, 2009 - Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior / Appetite

Research finds that women who possess genetic modifications associated with low activity of the reward neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain when they imagine eating appetizing foods are more prone to weight gain.

Weight loss improves mood in depressed people

July 27, 2009 - Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior / Appetite

Research finds that after a six-month behavioral weight loss program, depressed patients not only lost 8 percent of their initial weight but also reported significant improvements in their symptoms of depression, as well as reductions in triglycerides, which are a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The results of this study highlight the need for further research into the effects of weight loss in individuals suffering from psychiatric disorders

Common allergy drug reduces obesity and diabetes in mice

July 26, 2009 - EurekAlert / Nature Medicine

Two new studies connect the immune system with obesity and type 2 diabetes. In the first study, researchers used two common over-the-counter allergy medications known to stabilize a group of inflammatory immune cells to reduce obesity and symptoms of type 2 diabetes in mice

UTMB study identifies women at risk of gaining excessive weight with injectable birth control

July 24, 2009 - University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston / Obstetrics & Gynecology

A study by the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has identified women who are likely to gain weight while using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, more commonly known as Depo-Provera or the birth control shot. These findings dispel the myth that all women who use DMPA will gain weight and will help physicians to counsel patients appropriately

Yale discovery may open door to drug that cuts appetite and boosts energy

July 20, 2009 - EurekAlert / Journal of Clinical Investigation
In a major advance in obesity and diabetes research, Yale School of Medicine scientists have found that reducing levels of a key enzyme in the brain decreased appetites and increased energy levels